Chapter 36

(written by Lacy)

"Well, it's time to eat," Nick said, heading towards the backdoor. "Where are you going?" Jess asked. "To get them," Nick said. "Nick, just leave them alone. What's your problem? They'll be down later," Jess said, giving him a weird look. "Fine, whatever," he said, shrugging his shoulders and sitting down on the grass. "What's up with him?" AJ asked Howie, grabbing a burger. Howie just shrugged. "Well, shall we eat?" Jess asked, grabbing Brian's hand a pulling him up to his feet. "You read my mind," Brian said, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked over to the grill. No one payed any attention to Nick as he sat in the grass, pulling up blades one at a time and throwing them into a small pile in front of him...

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Jade woke up to a warmness that seemed to be pulsating from her head down to her toes. Breathing deeply, she smelled a light scent of cologne and smiled as she remembered. She had woken up hours earlier to find Kevin by her side, watching her sleep. He hadn't left her side since then. She closed her eyes and her body grew even warmer as she felt his arms tighten around her. She felt his breath on her neck as he bent over her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Her eyes opened and tears welled in her eyes as she heard what he was singing softly in her ear...

"When evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love.

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawling down the avenue

There ain't nothing that I would't do

To make you feel my love..."

"Kevin..." she whispered, turning around and laying on her other side so now she was facing him. "Why are you crying?" he asked, his glittering eyes softening. She stared at his chest, not saying anything. Gently he lifted her chin with his finger, wiping the tears from her face with his thumb. "Am I?" she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from his. "You are," he said, slowly lowering his face towards hers until their lips softly touched. "Then they're no more than tears of utter contentment," she said. He laughed softly. "You really are a writer, aren't you?" "Only when I want to be," she said, smiling. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the happiness in his eyes. She'd never made anyone happy before. She didn't even think she could.

"Hungry?" she asked, laughing when she heard his stomache growl. "Someone's cooking on the barbecue," he said, sniffing the air. She laughed. "That would be by best friend and you're band mates," she said, her eyes never leaving his face. "You're cooking them on the grill?" he asked, making her laugh. "It's a delicasy," she said, kissing him lightly on the nose. His smile broadened. "Shall we go eat?" he asked. "I... guess," she said half-heartedly. "How about we go down in about 10... 15... 20 minutes?" he asked, pulling her closer to him and running his fingers through her hair. "25... 30... 35 minutes," she said, trailing off as his lips covered hers...

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"We should do something tonight," AJ said, twirling the twisty-tie to the bag of hamburger buns around his finger in boredom. "What, we not good enough for ya anymore Bone?" Brian asked, his fingers entwined with Jess'. "I said ALL of us," AJ defended himself. "Why don't we go to a dance club?" Howie suggested. The guys moaned in protest. "We've been to every single dance club in the state of Florida at least 20 times, D.," Brian said, Nick and AJ nodding in agreement. "But Jade and I haven't," Jess said, liking the idea of going to a Florida dance club. "Do you dance?" Brian asked her.

"Well, yeah. Who doesn't? But I didn't say I did it well. Yes, I'm a trainer, but that doesn't mean I'm loose. Jade, on the other hand, is a different story. As usual, she beats me in this catergory, too. She dances better than anyone I know. She's been in dance classes ever since she was five-years-old and I know she'd love it," Jess said. "Then dancing it is!" Howie said, claping his hands together and standing up. "Fine, but I'm not promising to have a good time," AJ said, standing up and walking into the house. "He's lonely," Brian said when Jess looked at him.

"Then I guess we'll just have to get him a girl, won't we?" Jess asked, standing and pulling Brian up with her. "I guess we will," Brian said, smiling as he followed Jess into the house; Howie and Nick in tow. "Shouldn't someone go get Kevin and Jade and tell them to get ready?" Brian asked. "I will," Jess said, running up the stairs. She bumped into a half-dressed Kevin as she reached the top of them. "Whoa, sorry," she said, turning red when she noticed he had no shirt on. "It's okay," he said, laughing. "Um... where's Jade?" she asked, looking behind him into Jade's room. "In the bathroom. Where's the burgers?" he asked, turning towards the stairs. "Outside on the grill," she called over her shoulder as she walked into Jade's room.

"Jade?" she called, knocking on the bathroom door. "It's open," she heard Jade call from somewhere inside and slowly she opened the door. She stepped onto the rose-red carpet that Jade had insisted on having in her bathroom (she said it created a romantic mood... but Jess wondered why she wanted it in her bathroom), and saw Jade sitting on the edge of the red and black marble bathtub, which also matched the sink. "Hey. What are you doing sitting on the edge of the tub?" Jess asked, sitting down beside her best friend. "Do you think that dark blue is a little too much on my toe nails?" Jade asked, swinging her feet back and forth.

"No. Don't change the subject. Why are you sitting in here?" Jess asked. "Thinking," Jade said, still looking down at her swinging feet. "About your toe nail color?" Jess asked, smirking. Jade laughed. "Something like that," she said. "Well you have to get ready. We're going dancing tonight," Jess said, laughing when Jade's head shot up. "Dancing? Really?" Jade asked, like a little kid excited about going to Disney Land for their first time. "Really. I'm not lying to you," Jess said, laughing. "Cool! Where are we going?" Jade asked. "Brian said something about a club down on the main highway in Southern Orlando. I think he said it's called The Green Room," Jess said. "The Green Room?! Are you serious?" Jade said, jumping up and running into her bedroom. "Yeah, why? Have you heard of it?" Jess asked, following her.

"Have I heard of it? Jess, are you kidding? The Green Room! The infamous dance club of Orlando that the one-and-only Johnny Depp owns!" Jade said, throwing open her closet and tossing a sheek black dress onto her bed. "Oh! You wrote an article on it once!" Jess said, remembering. "Exactly!" Jade said, pushing Jess into the hallway and then into her own room. "We have to find you something to wear," she said. "I don't have anything to wear," Jess said, looking at Jade like she was a three-headed psychlops. Jade tapped her foot on the floor.

"Back to base," she said, grabbing Jess' hand and dragging her back into her room. "You can wear this," she said, grabbing a short red dress from the corner of her closet and tossing it to Jess. "Jade! I can't wear this! It's about ten sizes too short!" Jess, holding it out and staring at it with wide eyes. "Fine, I'll wear it. You wear the black one," Jade said, trading the dresses. "Kevin won't be too happy with that," Jess said, making Jade stop her fidgeting.

"Just go get changed, okay? I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," Jade said, turning back towards the bathroom with the red dress drapped over her arm. "Don't say I didn't warn you," Jess said, closing Jade's door behind her and walking into her own room to get ready for that night...

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